Newsletter

"Rights of Man" is generally thought to have been composed in celebration of the passing of the United States' Bill of Rights. The lyrics are my own, and over a year old.

PRESIDENT-ELECT''S MESSAGE

I hope you're having a good string year! The NU String Project is growing and doing well. Since we're currently in the second year of the program, we now have both 1st and 2nd year students. Classes meet after school Monday and Wednesday in Westbrook Music Building and are taught by 10 undergraduate string students (mostly music education majors) and a graduate double bass student. I also have a graduate teaching assistant who is helping with some of the adminstrative responsibilities. In fact, she has a phone in her office which is the new NU String Project Office number (402-472-4909).

The string project staff and I were very sad to learn that Huadong Lu could no longer serve as Master Teacher (supervising teacher). However, we were quite pleased when Alice Johnson agreed to serve in that capacity. She's doing a great job! Since this is a "teacher training program" the teachers meet each Monday before classes begin for planning sessions and workshops presented by myself, my string and music education colleagues here at UNL, Alice Johnson, LPS string teachers, and other guest string/music educators. If you would like to be involved in presenting a workshop, please contact me directly via e-mail or telephone.

We have retained about 70% of the students from last year and acquired several new second-year students, with a total of approximately 40 2nd year students. The first year students are in their third week and are doing quite well. We have about 60 third and fourth graders in this class and both the 1st & 2nd year kids are split into two sections (4:30 & 5:30). For the first few weeks the 1st year students have been meeting in homogeneous classes while the 2nd year students meet heterogeneously. Beginning October 8th the 1st & 2nd year classes will alternate having homogeneous and heterogeneous classes--one setting on Monday and another on Wednesday. The scheduling sounds a little complicated, but it's working out very well.

The total number we have in the String Project is about 100, which I find very exciting. And virtually all of the 2nd year students are in their school orchestra, which is one of the conditions for continuing in the String Project. I'll continue to update you on the latest NU String Project news. Afterall, it is such a vital part of the future of string education in our state, with regards to both the string project studentsand the teachers!

EXCITING NEWS FROM THE NEBRASKA HUMANITIES COUNCIL

The Kenny Williams Grant for youth programs in the Omaha metropolitan area has been renewed! We recently received another $10,000 from Dr. Williams that will allow us to offer organizations a second Speakers Bureau program in a calendar year for a fee of $35.

Any non-profit organization serving youth in the Omaha area is eligible to receive two programs per calendar year, each for a $35 processing fee, for as long as the money lasts. Organizations may receive a third program in a calendar year for $100. If you are unsure whether your school or organization is eligible call the Nebraska Humanities Council office at 402-474-2131. Programs must be for youth audiences (preschool-12th grade). Churches and other institutions that serve both adults and young people are eligible for these program funds, but the program should be directed at youth. Of course adults can still attend these programs, since all of our programs are free and open to the public. Organizations that work primarily with adults, such as Rotary clubs, are also eligible for these funds if they choose to organize a program for youth and advertise it to youth in he Omaha area.

Any organization based in the Omaha metropolitan area is eligible. If you're unsure if you qualify, give us a call.

The application process for Williams-funded programs is the same as regular Humanities Council Speakers Bureau programs. Consult the 2000-2003 Nebraska Humanities Council Speakers Bureau catalog for program offerings and request forms. As usual, no requests will be accepted less than four weeks prior to the program. Requests will be considered on a first come, first served basis.

For more information, contact the Nebraska Humanities Council, 402-474-2131, or check out their website at http://www.nebraskahumanities.org.

The Joseph Harrison Jackson Foundation, named after the late Reverend Jackson and administrated by his daughter Kenny Jackson Williams, is the generous donor of this $10,000 grant. The foundation has awarded this money in remembrance of the work that Reverend Jackson did at the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Omaha.

THE OMAHA MUNICIPAL ORCHESTRA NEEDS STRINGS

The Omaha Municipal Orchestra is a volunteer orchestra comprised of adults who desire to play great classical music at the highest level. Rehearsals and concerts will be at the Presbyterian Church of the Cross, 1517 S 114th Street, Omaha. The orchestra plays concerts without charge to the public. Our past soloists include David Low-Cello, Karen Bates-Crouch-Cello, David Newberry-Violin, Steven Grant-Viola, Alex Ross-Violin, Wendy Eaton-Mezzo-Soprano, Sheri Lyles-Clarinet, Bruce Lobaugh-Clarinet, and Nate Griffith, Tuba. One of our missions is to provide opportunities to local musicans to play solo works.

We have regular Thursday rehearsals which are held at 7:00 PM-9:30 PM. The dress rehearsal is held at 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon on the Saturday before the concert. The dates of the concerts are October 21, 2001, November 18, 2001, February 10, 2002, and April 7-8, 2002.

This season we will have guest conductors, as we search for a new permanent Music Director. The first and third concerts will be conducted by Dr. Chris Stanichar, the new Professor of Conducting at UNO. The final concert will be a performance of the Mendelssohn Elijah with the Masterworks Chorus and conducted by Dr. Greg Zielke from Grace University.

NATIONAL ASTA CHANGE OF ADDRESS

ASTA with NSOA has been going through a lot of growth and many changes during the last several years. We have now reached the point that we have outgrown our current office space - so, we are now preparing to move our national office to a new location. The new location, in Old Towne Fairfax, will provide the space that we need to accommodate the AST journal editor and our newly hired accountant, as well as our current full-time staff of five. The new address, effective Monday August 27, 2001, will be:

PRIVATE TEACHER'S BROCHURE

Our intrepid Private Studio Member-at-Large, Mischa Johnson, is developing a brochure listing Nebraska string teachers who are currently accepting new students. Nebraska ASTA members will be listed for free, and future Nebraska ASTA members will be listed for a $5.00 fee. The brochure will be distributed in a free and reasonable manor to music stores, music teachers, schools, museums, etc.

If you would like to be listed in the brochure, please mail the following information to Mischa Johnson, 1318 N. Hewett, Hastings, NE, 68901 by October 15:

If you have any future ASTA friends who would like to be listed, or if you have suggestions about where to distribute the brochure, please mail that information to Mischa.

October 15 is the deadline to submit information, and the brochure will be distributed by November 1.

Check out the new student ASTA chapter incentives. Millard West is starting a student chapter. The reduced membership fee makes a big difference. We little old high school teachers can make a huge difference in the number of students who enter the profession. Let's allow the great magazine and fun socializing of the ASTA chapters to help change the tide.

ASTA AWARDS WINNER OF THE 2001

The 2001 winner of the ASTA with NSOA Merle J. Isaac Composition Contest is Reynard Burns, a composer who resides in Oakdale, New York. His composition for full orchestra, Flying, was selected from among hundreds of entries by a distinguished committee of ASTA judges. Flying will be published by and distributed through ASTA, and Burns will receive $1000 for his award-winning composition.

NEBRASKA ASTA WITH NSOA

Each year the Nebraska Unit of the American String Teachers Association recognizes two outstanding string/orchestra teachers in Nebraska by presenting an award to one school orchestra director and one private studio teacher. Below are forms to be used for nominations. We urge you to consider submitting the name of a person whom you believe to represent outstanding teaching in one or borth areas. Send nominations to: Deborah Greenblatt, The Old Schoolhouse, PO Box 671, Avoca, NE, or e-mail g-s@alltel.net.

A decision has been made by the Executive Board of Nebraska ASTA that past winners will not be eligible until ten years after their last award.

PAST WINNERS: 1990 - Bettelee Lewis; 1991- Larry Maupin; 1992 - no awards given; 1993 - Carol Work (private) and Christa Speed (school); 1994 - Morris Collier (private) and Patty Ritchie (school); 1995 - Carol Work (private) and Alice Johnson (school); 1996 - Valerie Knowles (private) and Del Whitman (school); 1997 - David Low (private) and Molly Moriarty (school); 1999 - no awards given; 2000 - Gerald Fees (private) and Dave Klein (school); 2001- Mischa Johnson (private) and Maribeth Lynn (school)

STRING INDUSTRY COUNCIL GRANT PROGRAM

ASTA WITH NSOA 's String Industry Council Grant Program (SInC) targets start-up initiatives that create new string players in a community. SInCG is not to support existing projects. SInCGs are awarded from $100 to $1,000 only for the specific project described in the application. Funds may not be transferred to another activity. SINC GRANTS differ from ASTA WITH NSOA's Special Project Grants in the following ways:

SInCG are awarded to individuals and programs and do not necessarily have to be connected to activities of an ASTA WITH NSOA state chapter.
Projects must be endorsed by a music industry dealer or representative who is a member of SInC.
SInCG are awarded quarterly, not annually.
SInCG applications are reviewed and approved by the SInC Executive Committee.
Each recipient must complete a required written evaluation of the project. This evaluation must be mailed to the National Office at least one year after the award date of the grant.
Recipients with outstanding evaluations for funded projects are not eligible for additional SInC Grants.

SInC Grants are awarded quarterly. The next deadline is November 1, with funds being awarded by December 15.

SCHOOL EMERGENCY TASK FORCE COMMITTEE FORMING

Yes, boys and girls, it is true. Our pro-active President-Elect, KarenBecker, is championing this latest cause. In a brilliant bureaucratic move, Dr. Becker will be the chairman of a newly-designed-committee-that-we-will-hopefully-never-need, although we probably will. If you would like to serve, in solidarity with Karen, please let her know. With any luck at all, you'll never even have to evermeet each other.....

ASTA WITH NSOA MEMBERSHIP OPEN TO STUDENTS

Do your students know about the student membership opportunity available from ASTA with NSOA? For only $20 per year, any full-time student can receive the American String Teacher, and our own Stringing Along. Please give any interested student an application blank. For more information, contact:

Christa Speed, Membership Chair, 1625 Coventry Lane, Grand Island, NE, 68801, H: (308) 381-0664, cspeed@esu10.org

MUSIC MORE MUSIC-MAKERS SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION

Seventh through twelfth graders who are enrolled in their school's instrumental music program are eligible to submit a 200 - 1000 word essayon the topic of "How Music Education Has Changed My Life." Entries must include the music director's name, the student's name and grade, and the school's name, address, and phone number.

UNL'S ORCHESTRA GOES TO NASHVILLE !

We are all very excited that the UNL Symphony Orchestra has been invited to perform in April at the Music Educators National Conference held in Nashville, Tennessee!

Bill Roehrs, President-Elect of the Nebraska Music Educators Association has announced that the following clinicians will present sessions next November 15-17, 2001 at the NMEA All-State Conference:

Crystal Plohman, veteran performer, educator and motivator, is theDirector of Fiddling Program at Vanderbilt University, Nashville. She has worked with the city's top musicians including Vassar Clemments, Buddy Spicher, Mark OíConnor, Bela Fleck and the legendary Chet Atkins.

Aviva Segall is the Conductor of the Omaha Area Youth Symphony. She will present a session on conducting techniques and other related topics.

Margaret Carpenter, a NEASTA Suzuki teacher will discuss string techniques. Margaret hopes to bring some students as a demonstration group.

Gary Wolfmann, a former candidate for MENC national president will discuss "The Changing Rehearsal and the National Standards", and "Performance with Understanding: The Wisconsin Comprehensive Musicianship Through Performance Project". What a great speaker and bright educator!

The Annual ASTA business meeting will be held on Saturday morning November17, 2001 at Westbrook Music Building in Room 109 at 7 AM.

NMEA invites all ASTA members to join MENC, the world's largest music teacher organization and attend the All-State Conference.

ASTA WITH NSOA offers members a number of benefits and services. To learn more about these items, contact the National Office at 803-476-1316 or visit the association's web site at www.astaweb.com.

Join your ASTA with NSOA colleagues from across the country at the University of South Carolina for two intensive conferences conferences focusing on enhancing string education on your campus, in your school, and in your community. These two conferences will present you with tools, ideas and techniques that will aide you in teaching stringed instruments at your institution. Attending will also offer you an opportunity to network with your colleagues from across the nation.

This exciting two day conference will highlight results from the first year of the National String Project Consortium, an initiative funded by the Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts, designed to increase the number of string teachers.

How to start your own String Project
How to write grant proposals
Challenges facing String Projects
Tools for working more effectively with your school administration

Who Are We? The Unique Nature and Challenges of String Projects
The Dual Nature of the String Project - Teacher Education and Community Service
Administrative Issues Associated with a String Project
The String Project Relationship with the University
Writing Grant Proposals

This conference will also highlight results from the first-year national evaluation of the National String Project Consortium.

String Project Conference Planning Committee includes Gail Barnes, chair; Karen Becker, Karrell Johnson, Daniel Mason, and Jim Pryzgocki.

Conference Two: Teaching the College String Methods Courses, January 19 & January 20

This two-day conference is specifically geared towards those who teach string methods, techniques, and pedagogy at the collegiate level.

Help college faculty improve the teaching of strings methods and technique classes
Discuss the philosophy and purpose behind the methods class
Explore what material and textbooks are best to use
Give specifics on what is needed to teach each stringed instrument.

Special Highlights Include: Opening session led by Bob Gillespie, Camille Smith, and Kathlene Goodrich and will include recent research on the state of string music education. The panel session will define the methods class philosophy and purpose, the ASTA with NSOA standards and NASM guidelines.

Other Sessions Include: A Closer Look - Authors of textbooks and method books will describe the objectives, philosophy, and rationale behind their books.

Fully Developed Programs - Planning Curriculum Beyond the Methods Courses: Professors from large programs will describe their curriculum requirements for undergraduate string education majors, including pedagogy classes, secondary orchestra performing, etc.

Nuts & Bolts Treble - Everything a cellist or bassist needs to know to teach violin or viola.

Nuts & Bolts Bass - Everything a violinist or violist needs to know to each cello or bass.

Materials & Resources - Materials and resources will include sources other than method books - like repertoire lists, ASTA with NSOA publications, etc.

Take 5 or 10 - Creative and perhaps unusual strategies and methods to add spice to your methods classes will be shared by a number of presenters.

Balancing Act: Teaching to Teach or Teaching to Play - Panel discussion on realistic expectations for one semester courses.

Practically Meeting the Standards - Specific strategies, assessments, and ideas for methods classes that include choral and instrumental students.

Methods Conference Planning Committee includes Kathlene Goodrich, chair; Ken Sarch, Bob McCashin, Gail Barnes and Bob Gillespie.

SPECIAL BONUS SESSION FOR ATTENDEES: Phyllis Young, founder of the first String Project at the University of Texas at Austin, will deliver the keynote address at the Friday Night Gala Dinner. Attendees may reserve space at this special dinner.

SATURDAY EVENING SOCIAL EVENT: Recital by 2000 ASTA WITH NSOA National Solo Competition Grand Prize Winner cellist Kathleen Balfe (and reception afterwards).

As a service to teachers throughout the U.S., Shar is offering "Studio Instrument Samples" to qualified teachers! To qualify for a Studio Instrument Sample: Studio must be at least 15 students or larger, willing to reasonably care for and show trial instrument to students, ship back instrument when trial is complete (at Shar's cost with UPS call tag).

All instruments are under Shar's insurance. Shar will ship at no charge any instrument from their catalog to your home studio. Keep the instrument(s) for up to one month to allow students to effectively test-play.

Shar will send a check for 5% of any instrument purchase during trial periods to the home state ASTA with NSOA! For more information or to arrange a trial, please contact:

Eugene Fodor, a Heifitz protege and the first American to win the Tchaikovsky competition in Moscow, will perform Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, plus works by Paganini and Vitali, on "The Harrison" violin by Antonio Stradivari--the greatest surviving concert instrument of the 17th century!--and three other great violins, one by Stradivari and two by Guarneri del Gesu. the concert will be on April 6, 2002, on the campus of the University of South Dakota. It will be the first time that "The Harrison" will be heard, since the Museum acquired it in 1984, and prabably the last.

There will be a Spring Festival Orchestra organized for the occasion, made up of high school students. Teachers of interested high school players should contact the Shrine to Music Museum for more information.

This is a unique opportunity to motivate string players of all ages. Discounted tickets for student field trips will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Shrine to Music Museum, 414 E. Clark Street, Vermillion, SD, 57069; phone 605-677-5306; fax 605-677-5073; smm@usd.edu; www.usd.edu/smm.

For the first time in its history, ASTA WITH NSOA will hold a stand-alone conference at The Ohio State University March 27 through 29, 2003. Conscious of the diverse demographics of its constituency, ASTA WITH NSOAwill have clinics and performances that address the needs of private studio teachers, elementary and secondary string and orchestra teachers, university string teachers in both applied and music education areas, string students, Suzuki teachers, professional classical and non-classical performers, non-string performers who teach strings in schools (band directors, choir directors), and administrators.

Sessions will address the following areas: traditional pedagogy, string and full orchestras, classical and alternative styles of performance; university-level training of future string teachers; non-string players who teach strings; use of technology as it applies to playing and teaching strings; and the music industry. A call for session proposals will be announced in Spring 2002.

Those attending the conference will hear the NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL HONORS ORCHESTRA, a new Alternative Styles Performance Contest, solo recitals and chamber music performances, elementary - high school orchestras, and university orchestras.

The California American String Teachers Association with National School Orchestra Association and the Professional Musicians, Local 47 of Hollywood California has released an advocacy video, "Why Music, Why Strings?"

Narrated by film and TV star Craig T. Nelson, it makes a persuasive case for restoration and expansion of music and string programs. It can help open doors to those with the power to affect change and to inspire others to make their voices heard.

The passage of proposition 13 (a state tax reduction measure) in 1978 signaled the destruction of most music and arts education in California public schools. Once a leader, this state is now near the bottom of the barrel in music teacher to student ratio. Although a few areas retained music and string programs, large numbers of California students have no access to them.

"Why Music, Why Strings?" can be shown to school and public officials, parent groups, community organizations and others who may be willing to speak out in support music education.

You may obtain "Why Music, Why Strings?" by calling Bill Pordon at (858) 571-0902. A $7.50 contribution to California ASTA with NSOA's Student Aid Fund is suggested with each request.

Officers & Membership

Private String Teachers

Forms/Applications

FALL 2001 ISSUE

President's Message